MLB to expand blood testing for HGH

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) — Major League Baseball will test for human growth hormone throughout the regular season and increase efforts to detect abnormal levels of testosterone, a decision the NFL used to pressure its players.Baseball players were subject to blood testing for HGH during spring training last year, and Thursday's agreement between management and the Major League Baseball Players...

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UPDATE 2-Baseball-MLB, players agree to expand drug testing

* HGH and testosterone testing to be used this season* WADA-accredited lab hails toughness of new MLB testing (Adds USADA comment in paras 5-7)Jan 10 (Reuters) - Major League Baseball and the players' union have agreed to expand their drug program to include random in-season blood testing for human growth hormone and a new test for testosterone, they said on Thursday.The advanced testing will start...

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MLB, players agree to expand drug testing

(Reuters) - Major League Baseball and the players' union have agreed to expand their drug program to include random in-season blood testing for human growth hormone and a new test for testosterone, they said on Thursday.The advanced testing will start this season, in what will be the sternest doping program in major North American professional sports."This agreement addresses critical drug issues...

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Record earnings for South Korean league

(Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday.Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported.The league pocketed...

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Judgment day for Bonds, Clemens, Sosa at Hall

NEW YORK (AP) — Judgment day has arrived for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa to find out their Hall of Fame fates.With the cloud of steroids shrouding many candidacies, baseball writers may fail for the only the second time in more than four decades to elect anyone to the Hall.About 600 people are eligible to vote in the BBWAA election, all members of the organization for 10 consecutive...

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Column: No suspense for Bonds, Clemens in HOF vote

 a baseball game against the Chicago …more RELATED CONTENT  Enlarge PhotoFILE - In this July 23, 2007, file …Enlarge PhotoFILE - In this Aug. 4, 2004, file …Barry Bonds can go for a bike ride. Roger Clemens might want to head to the gym for one of those famous workouts that used to make him pitch like he was 22 when he was 42.If the polls are right — and my guess is they're pretty spot...

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Reid among 7 NFL coaches sacked in firing frenzy

Andy Reid is the winningest coach in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles. Lovie Smith led the Chicago Bears to the 2007 Super Bowl.Now they're looking for work.Seven coaches and five general managers were fired Monday in a flurry of pink slips that were delivered the day after the regular-season ended.Ken Whisenhunt is out after helping Arizona reach the Super Bowl following the 2008 season. Also...

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Kelly a top NFL target again

 One of the first questions Oregon coach Chip Kelly was asked after arriving in Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl was about the possibility of coaching in the NFL.The are-you-going-to-the-NFL questions haven't let up in the five days since and only figure to pick up after seven coaches were fired Monday.Deflection has been Kelly's defense since the rumors started and it was no different after all those...

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9 questions for golf's 2013 season

Even without the top four players in the world around to kick off the season, every new year in golf is shrouded in mystery like clouds over Molokai across the channel from Kapalua.Among the most pressing question: What will Bubba Watson serve for dinner at the Masters?"When you show up for dinner on Tuesday night, that's when you'll find out," Watson said.One problem. The press isn't invited."That's...

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Regular season winners don't always make champions

The Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons, who tied for the league's best record at 13-3, are well aware of one of the NFL's biggest truisms: more often than not, the regular season is for suckers.Over the last decade, just two of the 13 teams that had the best regular season record — or tied for the best mark — went on to win the Super Bowl: the '02 Buccaneers and the '03 Patriots.The last eight teams...

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Oklahoma St rolls Purdue in Heart of Dallas Bowl

 So much for the idea that Oklahoma State didn't care about playing in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.Clint Chelf threw three of his team's five touchdown passes and the Cowboys shook off a tough Big 12 finish by rolling up 524 yards and forcing five Purdue turnovers in a dominating 58-14 victory on Tuesday.Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy didn't hide the disappointment of sliding down the bowl priority...

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NBA: Kings suspend top scorer Cousins indefinitely

 The Sacramento Kings have suspended leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins indefinitely for "unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team", the Kings said on Saturday.The suspension, his third this season, came after Cousins exchanged words with Kings coach Keith Smart during halftime of Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The center did not play in the second half...

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NBA-Heat beat Jazz to break clear atop Eastern Conference

- LeBron James jammed home 30 points as the NBA champion Miami Heat silenced the Utah Jazz 105-89 on Saturday to move past the New York Knicks atop the Eastern Conference.Miami turned a four-point lead at intermission into a double-digit cushion by scoring the first eight points of the third quarter helped by a pair of three-pointers by Shane Battier.The lead was stretched to 20 points but Utah battled...

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Heat beat Jazz to break clear atop Eastern Conference

 LeBron James jammed home 30 points as the NBA champion Miami Heat silenced the Utah Jazz 105-89 on Saturday to move past the New York Knicks atop the Eastern Conference.Miami turned a four-point lead at intermission into a double-digit cushion by scoring the first eight points of the third quarter helped by a pair of three-pointers by Shane Battier.The lead was stretched to 20 points but Utah...

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UPDATE 7-NBA results

Dec 23 (Infostrada Sports) - Results from the NBA games on Saturday (home team in CAPS)Detroit 96 WASHINGTON 87ATLANTA 92 Chicago 75MIAMI 105 Utah 89Indiana 81 NEW ORLEANS 75HOUSTON 121 Memphis 96Cleveland 94 MILWAUKEE 82DENVER 110 Charlotte 88PORTLAND 96 Phoenix 93LA Lakers 118 GOLDEN STATE 115 (...

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Basketball-Katsikaris to replace Blatt as Russia coach

 Greece's Fotis Katsikaris is set to become coach of the Russian men's basketball team and will share coaching duties with his current job at Spanish club Bilbao Berri."It was his decision to do both jobs," president of the Russian basketball federation (RBF) Alexander Krasnenkov told reporters on Sunday."He'll coach Russia over the summer, then return to his Spanish club. We didn't insist on...

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Manziel first freshman to win Heisman Trophy

(Reuters) - Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, making him the first 'freshman' to win college football's top honor.Manziel, nicknamed "Johnny Football", beat out Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein at the swanky ceremony in New York."This is a moment I've dreamed about since I was a kid running around the backyard...

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TV technical union strikes against Pac-12 Networks

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The union representing freelance technical employees who work on live sporting events for Pac-12 Networks went on strike Saturday.The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees wants to establish area standard wages and benefits for the freelancers who work on the network's telecasts.About 100 union members picketed outside Galen Center, where Southern California hosted...

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Aresco, basketball schools talk Big East future

NEW YORK (AP) — Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco is working with the officials from the conference's seven nonfootball members to keep the rebuilding league from splitting apart.A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that Aresco and officials from those seven Catholic schools held a conference call Thursday to discuss the future of the league. Those schools are considering...

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Big East nonfootball members mull future of league

NEW YORK (AP) — The seven Big East schools that don't play football spoke with the conference commissioner Thursday about possibly breaking from a league that has been drastically reshaped. Such a breakup would be complicated and could conceivably kill the Big East.Commissioner Mike Aresco conferred by phone with the leaders of those seven schools, according to a person familiar with the situation....

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